Defence minister disappointed but proud

I am disappointed that your paper failed to accurately portray my reasons for being unable to attend the Christmas dinner with the Highlanders at the Sydney garrison last weekend, therefore missing the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s demonstration at the gate.

By choosing to focus on my absence, you detracted from the important issue of our veterans’ well-being.

Had your paper contacted my office, readers would know that my flight from Ottawa to Nova Scotia was delayed by several hours. It was for this reason only that I was unable to attend.

Saturday, I drove to Port Hawkesbury to announce funding for several Cape Breton community-based projects — including a veterans memorial park and an investment in the legion.

I take all veterans’ concerns seriously, and I am proud of our Conservative government’s actions to help those who proudly serve and have served this country.

In recent months, we have introduced a number of new initiatives to assist Canadian Armed Forces members.

In September, for example, I announced a reallocation of $11.4 million from my departmental budget to be dedicated toward mental health services for military members. This raises the annual budget for this program to $50 million and builds on Canada’s international reputation as a world leader in mental health treatment.

Last week, I acted on recommendations to provide equal treatment and coverage for grievously injured reservists, and I am confident this initiative will assist military members and families in all of our communities.

We have embarked on historic action when it comes to the investments in our current serving military, veterans and their families. In the future, I invite your reporters to contact my office should they require any clarification or comment.

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Selranospm

December 14, 2012 - 11:03

TO DAVE FROM BARRIE: You seem to want to avoid the obvious: the intent of the Charter was from the beginning to shortchange disabled vets. It is not rocket science. This government succeeded in doing what it intended to do: save money on the back of disabled vets. There was no need to reinvent the wheel. The previous life-long pension and the services provided were already in place. The government decided to cut programs and financial support to seriously disabled veterans. The only thing that comes to mind is the government did it for ideological reasons. Don't provide the support as in the past and force these disabled vets off this financial support and have them go look for a job when their lump-sum payment has run out. The charter was never intended to compensate disabled veterans properly and adequately. If you think cadillac services were being provided to disabled veterans or even expected by these veteran, you haven't had much experience in dealing with veterans. Veterans benefits have been cut, that is not a matter of dispute. Perhaps you should read more on this issue and inform yourself of the many attempts to get the benefits the government claims is available but is not when these vets go looking for it. You seem to want to ignore the illegal and shameful efforts to discredit veterans who advocate on behalf of their fellow vets by disclosing their medical information to the public. This government's record is a joke when it comes to supporting these disabled veterans. Penny pinching disabled veterans' benefits and services is a routine practice with this government and the record is there for all to see who are objective.

TO DAVE FROM BARRIE: Canada's veterans were betrayed by the MPs who sat in the 38th Parliament. They passed the Veterans Charter in mere seconds on May 10, 2005, without even reading it. Their Senate colleagues did little better, granting it just two days of debate. At its heart, Bill C-45, now known as the new Veterans Charter, removed the lifelong disability lump sum for pain and suffering.
Commons. Ironically, the rapid passage of the bill occurred while most members of the committees on veterans affairs of both Houses had just returned from or were still in Europe celebrating VE Day.
Quite simply, VAC betrayed veterans and hoodwinked Parliament, and this wrong must be righted.
Unstated at any point during the parliamentary process of debate is the real reason why VAC needed to pass Bill C-45 with such urgency. Its officials had recommended “a shift to greater use of lump sum payments combined with customized rehabilitation services...to regain control of an alarming future liability scenario”. This was, however, hinted at by the testimony of Darragh Mogan when he appeared before the only Senate committee meeting on the Veterans Charter and admitted that the program “would pay for itself over a 15- to 20-year period”. This is the best illustration of a hidden agenda in recent Canadian political history. This charter was to cut the benefits to disabled veterans. There is no other explanation. It is clear that the implementation of the charter was for penny pinching the veterans.
Make no mistake about it. The remainder of the programs in the charter for disabled veterans and serving members existed in one form or another before the charter was passed. This was not, as Minister Guarnieri claimed during the May 11 hearing to the Senate national finance committee, “an entirely new vehicle designed to deliver what the current system cannot”. Louise Richard, Harold Leduc, and Sean BruyeaI were the only Canadians given an opportunity to testify to committee in opposition to the charter as it was written.
Indeed, veterans were all sold this new legislation based upon short briefings, which used such catch phrases as “opportunity with security”, “widespread consultations”, “case management”, and “psycho-social rehabilitation”, to name a few.
The usual business argument when applied to disabled veterans is a copping out of this country obligation to support for the troops. Harper keeps mouthing that obligation but the reality is he has failed to support the troops when it really is necessary. That support means that when these young people return disabled it is this nations responsibility to "not cut and run from its responsibility." As for the areas and the population involved, I think there is a higher proportion of Cape Bretoners and Maritimers in the Armed Forces that make a strictly population reference unreliable. Notwithstanding, the obligation is to these young people who without questioning went to these areas of conflict on the orders of this government and it is the government/Canadians reciprocal responsibility to support these troops and their families as they try to survive as best they can in their time of permanent disability. This government's record is certainly not impressive.
Dave, my now deceased brother-in-law was on 100% disability pension since his early 20s after being shot in the head by a sniper as he was the bren gun carrier. He wasn't expected to live as he was loaded into a wheelbarrow and taken to the nearest medical station and then taken back to England. Somehow he survived his wound while paralyzed on one side and returned home to try and recover. The doctors gave no hope of that. He perserved and struggled and married and had 10 children who have all done very well and are spread over parts of Canada. Without such a disability pension, he would not have likely lived as he did until he was 87 years of age. This is the kind of financial support that is crucial for anyone who suffers such an war injury to try and restore some level of normalcy he/she is entitled to. Anything less is uncivilized treatment of these returning disabled veterans.

That is why the charter is fluid and can be changed as the times change.The bottom line is that services can be delivered better by Service Canada locations with the backup support of VA.Capers have to get on with the times.We all want Cadillac services yet the Chev model is much more efficient.
It works out west so there is no reason it will not work in Cape Breton.No one is advocating cutting benefits for Vets.This is nothing more than protecting civil service jobs in Sydney.

Selranospm

December 12, 2012 - 22:45

DAVE FROM BARRIE: The actual consulting didn’t involve much consulting of the military personnel as I recall. Parliament rushed this charter through so fast there was no time for actual study of its impact on the disabled veterans. And it was being promoted as being so much better than the existing policy by Veterans Affairs. And it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the shortcomings of this Veterans Charter when compared to the life-long pensions provided to former disabled war veterans. And the authorities knew that! A number of veterans quickly became vocal and they were attacked by Veterans Affairs. Their medical records used to try and discredit them. In any setting in the military things like the implementation of this Veterans Charter are promoted and pushed from the top on down to the troops. I don’t recall that there was any military voting in favour of this charter. In any setting where military personnel are involved, conditioning and indoctrination is the order of the day. Disabled veterans were and are not given the choice of either or; it was to be the Veterans Charter. Consequently the sad story you recall is all too common now. I have written to the former Veterans Affairs minister and the current one plus Peter MacKay and the prime minister (who didn’t respond) about restoring the life-long pension. The current Veterans Affairs minister finally stated that that is not the government intent. They were asked if they believe that a lump-sum payment is an adequate financial security for a disabled veteran, then change your life-long pension to a similar lump-sum payment. Realizing that the lump-sum payment is a cheaper way than continuing with the disabled pension, all refused to apply that same buy out payment to themselves; so much for their rhetoric of supporting the troops. Implying that it is an efficiency move when this government makes changes is quite a joke. As for the closing of the veterans office in Sydney, are you saying there are few disabled veterans living on Cape Breton? What's the number?

In reply to Sel I know they had numerous meetings with Legions and Vets up here before the Vets charter was put in.This charter is fluid meaning it can be changed as time goes on.In business you better be fluid these days or your not going to be around long.The feds are doing this with various departments .The numbers in Cape Breton I am sure are lower than the numbers in South Western Ontario or in just one of our Regional Muncipalities....York Region is over a million people,Durham is about 800,000,Peel is 1.1 million.The whole province of Nova Scotia is under a million so I can see why the Sydney office work is being put into Service Canada.
One thing we can agree on is the lump sum payout you and I feel it should be abolished.

Selranospm

December 12, 2012 - 17:50

To Dave from Barrie: You do not mention that you are a disabled veteran and it would appear you have no close relatives disabled while being sent overseas by this government to areas of combat. In which case you know not of what you speak. You are mistaken that benefits are not cut. For one, the cancellation of the life-long disability pension for a lump-sum payment is not acknowledging the service these soldiers made on behalf of this country. That is particularly so for those vets who are seriousl disabled. It is doing it this way because it is cheaper. These disabled veterans deserve to be compensated adequately so that their life is a normal as possible as well as their families. What this government is doing is shameful and most Canadians do not approve of sending troops into battle and deserting them financially when they return disabled. Peter MacKay states, " I take all veterans’ concerns seriously, and I am proud of our Conservative government’s actions to help those who proudly serve and have served this country." This is pure rhetoric from a politician since he has not called for the restoration of life-long pensions for disabled veterans even after being requested to do so.

In reply I am not a disabled Vet.I just know from being in private industry that services can be delivered better and cheaper than have an office in Sydney and numerous other places across Canada where numbers do not warrant it.From reading your letter I realize you do not understand the option re lump sum or long term pension.Read up on it and see it is a choice a vet makes.

Waste Waste Waste

December 12, 2012 - 11:49

DAVE FROM BARRIE, Do you spend hundreds of dollars a day on meals? Have a private car drive you around? Stay in $1500 a night hotels? Spend $10,000 on photo ops? Spend millions on ads telling your customers how great you are? Cut services to your customers? This Caper knows how to move forward, and understands fully what this current government is doing to move us backwards.

In reply to waste. Mr Mckay is a cabinet minister and a lot of the time he is chauffered around in a car being driven by a security officer or a RCMP officer. That private car is usually a Chrysler 300 or a Chev Impala not the Caddy that some Capers think they are driving around in.Its part of the territory in this day and age.I laugh when Capers complain of the costs of goverment.A lot of Capers need to realize that these cabinet ministers are executives that are in charge of huge budgets and these people have to be protected.Its no different that the president of my company where I work being driven around from place to place in order to do business.You are not advocating putting Mr Mckay in that cheap motel past CBU are you...
In response re the life long pension being cancelled for a one time lump sum payment.This was brought up after consulting with veterans across Canada and the RCL.Sadly a lot of young vets coming from Afganistan take the lump sum and because of inexperience blow the money after a few years .This happened in my area to a vet we know outside of Base Borden.This young man lost the lower part of his leg in Afganistan came back to Canada and decided to take the lump sum.After taking it he bought the new truck,snowmobile and then went though a messy divorce.After 4 years he has nothing.One has to ask is that the fault of the goverment or the taxpayer.I think not...Having said that most people would agree that they should get rid of the lump sum and keep the life long pension.
As a former caper I along with other capers in my area chuckle with the thinking of some people down there when they have a cabinet minister in their area.Mr Dingwell was a good example .For years he delivered huge money to Cape Breton then when times got tuff in Ottawa and the money dried up the people in his riding tossed him out of office.Mr McKay in a riding close to Cape Breton has also represented Nova Scotia well and has done a lot for the province.Any one that knows him realize he is a responsible politician that tries to do the best for his area.He is not a miracle worker but he is a decent man that is responsible for a very high level ministry.However we all know in Ontario if he does not deliver down there Capers wil have the knives out for him as in this instance.

proud of what?

December 11, 2012 - 09:34

You are wasting your breath Peter. It's not like your legion of Con Bots have a snowball's chance in hell of ever getting a seat in Cape Breton anyway. Especially after your empiror Harper's attempt to railroad our fishermen up north. Face it, even your own political future is in the toilet. It's not like you've been batting a thousand lately. Have you?

Minister Mackay it is the Minister of Verterans Affairs that has "detracted from the important issue of our veterans’ well-being" the Canadian government is the one leaving the Veterans of Cape Breton with no support,with no help for Veterans when it decided to close the district office, it is the Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Prime Minister that have taken from ALL Veterans from one level or another.In your letter you state" that I take all veterans’ concerns seriously, and I am proud of our Conservative government’s actions to help those who proudly serve and have served this country." So you are proud to be putting Veterans here in Cape Breton at the end of the line .Shame on you and the Canadian Government!

I'm a veteran with over 30 years of service, if I can manage the new system so can everyone else. If they need help all they need to do is ask or go to the service reps at the legion. This was more about the public service waiving their flag and about jobs then it was about the Veterans. PSAC used this disguise with Eyking as the front man.
I'd like to point out that this dinner was for all the soldiers in the sydney garrison, not just highlanders.

Pat - A Veteran

December 11, 2012 - 13:37

@ a Veteran I am glad that you can manage the new system however there are others out there who have OSI's that can't , as well some can't even go outside or have a long time gaining trust in a person. There is also Veterans that dislike the Legion for one reason or another and do not want to utilize the serevice reps. that is up to them. the relation ship that exist's between the caseworker and veteran is one that will take a long time to establish with someone else. This is for those Veterans that cannot get out or cannot manage the new system that we need to fight to keep this Sydney office open.

Dave from Barrie

December 11, 2012 - 22:43

To Pat Leblanc...Its called moving forward Pat and changing the delivery method to be more cost effective...No ones cuttin the actual benefits just changing the way they are delivered...As a business person I know that you have to keep moving forward with the times or your going to run a inefficient system.Sadly a lot of Capers have a problem with moving forward...The rest of the Country can do it why not in Cape Breton.